The
Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 Western film
directed by Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik based on a 1983 novel of the
same name by American novelist Ron Hansen. The movie stars Brad Pitt as the
legendary American outlaw Jesse James and Casey Affleck as the effete hero-worshiper Robert Ford. The movie’s unusually long title betrays the eventuality of
the plot, pre-establishing Robert Ford as Jesse’s James would be assassin. But,
then the movie is never meant to be a mystery! The Assassination of Jesse James
by the Coward Robert Ford, on the contrary, is a complex character study, a
story of a larger-than-life hero and a devout fan, a tale of hatred spawned by
envy and lust, a documentation of most tumultuous phase in the American History, and an ode to the disputed yet decorated heroes of the American folklore.

Casey Affleck as Robert Ford and Brad Pitt as Jesse James

The
Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford gives an account of the
twilight months of Jesse James’ life. It is the year 1881 and the outlaw Jesse
James, one half of the infamous James Brothers, has already attained a cult
figure in the American folklore. Jesse James is 34 years old and the years of
pillage, slaughter and hoodwinking (the law) has started to take a toll on him,
physically as well as mentally. Throughout the movie, a voiceover reminds the
viewer of Jesse James’ increasingly debilitated physical state and his growing
paranoia. 19-year-old Robert Ford, having grown idolizing Jesse James, is
desperate to join the James gang. He relies on his brother Charley Ford, an
existing member of the gang, to get introduced to his childhood idol.

Jesse James blocks the Railway Track

When
Robert finally meets James, the latter comes across as a completely different
individual from what he had learnt and read over the years, someone who is more
of a ghost than a hero, a man not proud of his exploits but one desperate to
avoid its repercussions and escape the impending doom. As the narrative
progresses, the tension between the two characters slowly and steadily
approaches its crescendo as Robert Ford’s veneration for Jesse James
intermittently takes different forms, that of envy, lust, revulsion and guilt,
as James gradually retires into a state of delirium. The two characters are
driven by their fates, and the actual killing gives the impression of a ritual,
a kind of tacit agreement between the hunter and the hunted to fulfill their
respective destinies.

Jesse James and Gang

Jesse
James was a product of the American Civil War. A war poses threats and creates
opportunities. It breeds heroes as well as villains. But, this differentiation of the virtuous from the vile is
purely a matter of perception. While some heralded Jesse James as a hero,
others disdained him as a villain. While writers of his time often described
him as a heroic outlaw who, à la Robin Hood, would rob the rich in order to
feed the poor, but there is very little historical evidence that Jesse and gang
ever robbed to satiate the needs of anyone but themselves. Irrespectively,
Jesse James continues to enjoy a cult status in the American folklore. The Assassination of Jesse James by the
Coward Robert Ford too seems ambiguous in its depiction of Jesse James. In
the movie, he is depicted as a pillager and a remorseless killer while at the
same time he is projected as a family oriented man.

Brad Pitt as the legendary American Outlaw Jesse James

Brad
Pitt plays the part of Jesse James with great conviction and authority,
effacing any doubts as far his acting credentials are concerned. During the
course of the movie, Brad Pitt accomplishes something that’s seldom associated
with him: Brad Pitt the Superstar steps aside completely making way for an
increasingly deranged outlaw who seems to be quickly running out of time. Though
Pitt failed to make the cut for the Oscars, he deservedly won the best actor
award at the Venice
film festival for his brilliant portrayal of Jesse James. Another actor who is
equally brilliant in his portrayal in the movie, if not better, is Casey Affleck. As Robert
Ford, Affleck epitomizes cowardice; albeit as an oxymoron: to have the courage
to shoot the man you idolize (and probably love amorously) cold-bloodedly in the back of
the head. Affleck unarguably delivered his best performance yet and was well
rewarded by an Oscar nomination. Pitt and Affleck are well supported by the rest of the cast that includes the likes of Sam Rockwell, Jeremy Renner, and Sam Shepard.

Casey Affleck as Robert Ford

Roger
Deakins’ widescreen cinematography that brilliantly captures the hypotonic
beauty of the wide open Canadian terrain is highly reminiscent of the films of Terence
Mallick who seems to be filmmaker Andrew Dominik’s prime source of inspiration. The
movie’s breathtaking cinematography is well complemented by its subtle
background score that immensely adds to the beauty of the movie. After a
testing overture, the movie slowly and steadily holds the viewer in a vice-like
grip until its very end. The movie’s assassination plot is brilliantly blended
with several subtexts and overtones that elevate it to the ranks of a metaphor
and an allegory. Overall, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert
Ford is one of the best movies to have come out in the recent years and is a
must watch for anyone who understands and values intelligent and thought-provoking cinema.

16
comments:

It's great to see such a wonderful review about this movie. It is one of my favorite movies, and i felt that it was very under-rated. Didn't get any Oscars or any major awards, but the acting performances, narrative, and cinematography rewards a serious movie-lover.

A fantastic review. This movie is one of my favorites and I felt this is one of the few reviews that recognizes many of the beautiful aspects of the film and ignores the go-to complaint about it's length and pace, something that is obviously deliberate.

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About Editor-In-Chief

Murtaza Ali Khan is an independent film critic / journalist based out of New Delhi, India. He has been writing on cinema for over seven years. He runs the award-winning entertainment blog A Potpourri of Vestiges. He is also the Films Editor at the New York City-based publication Cafe Dissensus and regularly contributes to The Hindu, The Sunday Guardian, DailyO, and National Herald. He was previously a columnist at Huff Post. He has also contributed to online publications like Newslaundry, The Quint, Dear Cinema, Desimartini and Jamuura Blog. He is also on the guest panel for live discussions on the television news channel NewsX.